Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Spring Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (pre-registration deadline is August 24, 2024) 12th)

*** Due to the number of people doing imaging at the Bootleg Star Parties, Bootleg Management is indicating that Green Lasers will not be permitted starting one hour after sunset ***

1	New Moon at 12:47 UT. Start of lunation 1260.
3	Moon near Mercury at 7h UT (19° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.3. Use the Moon to help find the elusive planet Mercury. • Mercury (Wikipedia)
4	Moon near Antares at 2h UT (28° from Sun, evening sky). Occultation visible from Easter Island. • Antares (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Antares (In-The-Sky)
5	Moon near Venus at 0h UT (evening sky). Mag. −4.0. • Venus (Wikipedia)
5	Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks. Active from Sept 23 to Dec 8. Associated with Comet 2P/Encke.
9	First Quarter Moon at 5:55 UT.
10	Mercury 2.0° N of Antares at 11h UT (22° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −0.3 and 1.0.
11	Moon near Saturn at 2h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.9. Occultation visible from Central America. • Saturn (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Saturn (In-The-Sky)
11	Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks. Active from Oct 13 to Dec 2. Occasional bright fireball.
12	Moon near Neptune at 0h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from USA, E. Canada and Greenland. Mag. 7.8. • Neptune (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Neptune (In-The-Sky)
14	Venus at southernmost declination (−25.6°) at 4h UT (evening sky). Mag. −4.1.
14	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 11:19 UT (distance 360,109km; angular size 33.2').
15	Full Moon at 21:28 UT.
16	Mercury at greatest elongation east at 8h UT (23° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.3.
16	Moon near the Pleiades at 8h UT (midnight sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
17	Leonid meteor shower peaks. Arises from debris ejected by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Produces very fast meteors (70 km/sec). Expect 10−15 meteors/hour under dark skies. Moonlight interferes this year. • Leonids (American Meteor Society) • Leonids Over Monument Valley (APOD)
17	Uranus at opposition at 2h UT. Mag. 5.6. • Uranus (Wikipedia)
17	Moon near Jupiter at 15h UT (morning sky). Mag. −2.8. • Jupiter (Wikipedia)
18	Moon near M35 star cluster at 14h UT (morning sky).
19	Mercury at southernmost declination (−25.5°) at 6h UT (evening sky). Mag. −0.2.
19	Moon near Castor at 21h UT (morning sky).
20	Moon near Pollux at 3h UT (morning sky).
20	Moon near Mars at 23h UT (morning sky). Mag. −0.3. • Mars (Wikipedia)
21	Moon, Mars and Beehive cluster M44 within circle 3.7° diameter at 1h UT (morning sky).
21	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 5h UT (morning sky). • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
23	Moon near Regulus at 0h UT (morning sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)
23	Last Quarter Moon at 1:29 UT.
23	Mars at northernmost declination (21.2°) at 14h UT (morning sky). Mag. −0.3.
26	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 12h UT (distance 405,314km; angular size 29.5').
27	Moon near Spica at 11h UT (42° from Sun, morning sky). Occultation visible from the Contiguous United States, E. Canada and NW Bahamas. • Spica (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Spica (In-The-Sky)

>>> All times Universal Time (UT). USA Central Standard Time = UT-6 hours. (DST = UT-5 hrs,)

Zodiacal Light is caused by sunlight reflected off meteoric dust in the plane of the solar system. Choose a clear, moonless night, about 1-2 hours after sunset, and look for a large triangular-shaped glow extending up from the horizon (along the ecliptic). The best months to view the Zodiacal Light is when the ecliptic is almost vertical at the horizon: March and April (evening) and October-November (morning); times reversed for the southern hemisphere.
• Zodiacal Light (Wikipedia)
• Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
• Photographing the Zodiacal Light (Weatherscapes)